This Is the Moment
by youbetcha
Summary: My first songfic! What comes of listening to "this is the moment" from Jekyll & Hyde and thinking of championships 2002, and how much that song relates to it. Reviews are smashing :)


It was a cold, chilly day in early November. As I got off the Charter bus, I was immediately met by this stinging cold that bit through my thin uniform. I don't care what people say, during this time, the band definitely had an advantage. . . the colorguard uniforms were so thin, and so cold. But of course, the thrill of being in colorguard made up for it.  
  
It was marching band championships of 2002. I had been very nervous on the bus ride here, and my nervousness didn't stop as I got off the bus. My friend, another guard member, motioned me to come over to the truck so we could get our flags. I ran over to her, glad to get some motion in my already frozen limbs. I stopped when I got there, and peered over to look for my flag bag.  
  
It was indeed marching band championships, but as nervous as I was, and as surreal as it felt, we were here.  
  
~This is the moment. . . this is the day. . .  
  
When I send all my doubts and demons on their way. . .~  
  
Indeed. All my misgivings about how good we were going to do were finally going to be proven. We had done so well through the entire season, even winning our state championships. But as this was our final show, I couldn't help but worry. But it wasn't time for worrying. . . soon the answers would come.  
  
~Every endeavor, I have made, ever, is coming into play. . .  
  
Is here and now, today. . .~  
  
This was the day that we had been working for for all these months. Everything we ever did, that I ever did, was for this day.  
  
~This is the moment, this is the time. . .  
  
When the momentum and the moment, are in rhyme. . .  
  
Give me this moment, this precious chance. . .  
  
I'll gather up my past, and make some sense at last!~  
  
Like I said, it was all for today. I had to throw aside last year, when I couldn't make it to championships. That was my past. . . I had to not think of it, for this was my first championships, and I would make it as good as I could.  
  
My flagbag was handed to me, and I balanced it against my arm. I could even feel the coldness of the flags through the bag. I waited for the others to get their flags before we all headed over to a small spot to practice, near a lamp post.  
  
~This is the moment!  
  
When all I've done. . .  
  
All of the dreaming, scheming and screaming become one. . .~  
  
All those days of long practices, and those days of band camp where I felt like screaming in frustration and exhaustion were for today. All that dreaming, all that wondering of how we would do, and dreaming of what it would be like if we did, also for today. Scheming? Yes, my instructor tended to scheme. . . ways she'd make us beat them, and no matter what, we'd have to beat them. But it was all over, it was all one.  
  
~This is the day -  
  
See it sparkle and shine,  
  
When all I've lived for  
  
Becomes mine!~  
  
The day, as surreal as it had been from the moment I woke up this morning, was all I had lived for. The year before this I had missed championships. . .this time, I'd be there. This time we'd win.  
  
The band director gave us the signal. I took my flags in my arms, and I held my head up with this amazing sensation of pride and hopefulness. We stood in line with the band, shivering in the cold air, as the drum cadence started. I held the cold flagpoles tighter against my uniform, feeling the chill underneath as I stepped off in time with the drums, as we marched off into the field. . .  
  
~For all these years,  
  
I've faced the world alone,  
  
And now the time has come  
  
To prove to them I've made it on my own!~  
  
Not for all these years, but last year when I missed championships. That whole time, I could only perform the first song and none of the others. I had faced the band and the people alone, being a part of things without truly being there. But now the time had come where I could show them all that it was a year later, and this year I was truly part of things. I'd perform my best, and they would see!  
  
~This is the moment -  
  
My final test -  
  
Destiny beckoned, I never reckoned,  
  
Second Best!~  
  
It was our final test, our championships. And we wouldn't settle for second best! We had won state championships, we were the best out of them all! And now, come this time, we were determined to win this, too. We wouldn't settle for anything less than first.  
  
~ I won't look down,  
  
I must not fall!  
  
This is the moment,  
  
The sweetest moment of them all!~  
  
Must not fall. . . three competitions ago I slipped on a patch of mud and fell on my butt. Not here, though! Never here!  
  
We stood at the edge of the field now. I heard the crowd cheering and ringing cowbells, and airgrams being sent to people all through the band. The announcer was telling all our stats, who our drum major was, field captain, ect. The drum cadence was blaring right next to me, and it was beautiful. At that moment, I felt an elation that only marching band competitions could bring on. I felt such happiness, and such pride to be with this band, this wonderful band!  
  
~This is the moment!  
  
Damn all the odds!  
  
This day, or never, I'll sit forever with the gods!~  
  
Yes, damn all the odds! So, we were competing against other bands! So, might of them could be better than us! But damn them, this was OUR moment! As we marched out onto the field, I heard the cry of, "guard split!" and I ran around the field, setting up my flags. This was it, I thought, as I finished setting them up and stood in my opening drill spot with my main flag. I raised my head to the bright lights, letting them give me spots in my eyes, letting it glance off my flag. Damn the odds, this was it! The judges called for us to begin. . . "You may now take the field in competition!" Now. . . was our chance.  
  
~When I look back,  
  
I will always recall,  
  
Moment for moment,  
  
This was the moment,  
  
The greatest moment  
  
Of them all!~ 


End file.
